Battery holder

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a battery holder  30  for an electronic device. In order to provide an improved possibility of exchanging a battery of an electronic device, it is proposed that the battery holder  30  comprises an outer surface  31,  means  32  for receiving an exchangeable battery  20  and means  33, 34  for connecting the battery holder  30  releasably to an electronic device. The latter means enable a connection of the battery holder to the electronic device in a way that electrical contact elements  21  of a battery  20  received by said battery holder  30  come into contact with electrical contact elements of the electronic device and that the outer surface  31  of the battery holder  30  forms part of the outer surface of the electronic device. The invention relates equally to a corresponding electronic device and to a cover for such an electronic device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a battery holder for an electronic device. Theinvention relates equally to an electronic device and to a cover for anelectronic device comprising such a battery holder.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The power source required by electronic devices for their operation maybe given in particular in the case of mobile electronic devices by abattery. Such a battery may have to be changed occasionally.

It is known to place the battery into a spacing provided in theelectronic device and to close the spacing with a cover.

In U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,932, for example, it is proposed to employ abattery tray into which a battery cell is inserted. The tray is thenfixed in a radio housing. A back cover finally slides over the radiohousing to encapsulate the battery cells.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,906 presents a storage battery comprising a basehousing and a cover housing, which form a receiving space for receivingan electric circuit board and a battery. The storage battery can then beinserted with the base housing as a leading side into a mounting roomprovided in a mobile phone to be electrically connected therewith.

It might be considered a disadvantage by some users that the covercovering a battery which was inserted into a spacing provided in anelectronic device is often very light, whereby its handling resembles tothe handling of a toy. Moreover, such a cover is usually notparticularly robust.

In an equally known alternative, the battery and the cover are realizedas a permanently fixed unit. This approach has the disadvantage,however, that whenever the battery has to be exchanged, the customer hasto buy a new entity comprising the battery and the cover, which israther expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a improved possibility forexchanging a battery module of an electronic device.

This object is reached according to the invention with a battery holderfor an electronic device comprising an outer surface, means forreceiving at least one exchangable battery at a side opposite to thisouter surface and means for connecting the battery holder releasably toan electronic device. The latter means enable a connection of thebattery holder to the electronic device in a way that electrical contactelements of at least one battery received by the battery holder comeinto contact with electrical contact elements of the electronic deviceand that the outer surface of the battery holder forms part of the outersurface of the electronic device.

The object of the invention is equally reached with a cover for anelectronic device, which cover comprises the proposed battery holder.The battery holder is connected to the cover by the proposed means forreleasably connecting the battery holder to an electronic device. It isto be noted that the electrical connection between a battery received bythe battery holder and the electronic device is only achieved when thecover has been connected to the electronic device.

Further, the object of the invention is reached with an electronicdevice comprising the proposed battery holder, wherein the batteryholder is connected to the electronic device by the proposed means forreleasably connecting the battery holder to an electronic device. Thebattery holder is preferably connected more specifically to a cover ofthe electronic device.

The invention proceeds from the idea that a part of the housing of anelectronic device might be realized as a battery holder, to which abattery module may be connected in a releasable way.

The combination of battery module and battery holder can be connected toand removed from the electronic device comfortably as one integratedpackage. Still, the user of the electronic device can exchange thebattery by itself without the battery holder when the battery life timehas been reached. Thus, the user only has to buy a new battery, not acomplete battery holder or cover comprising a battery module, wheneverthe battery module has to be exchanged.

It is further an advantage of the invention that the integration ofbattery module and battery holder makes the removable part more robustcompared to a cover by itself. At the same time, the battery holderprotects the battery from mechanical stresses, especially when themechanical construction of the battery module itself is thin and weak.Nowadays, batteries usually do not comprise rigid plastic parts at bothends any more. Instead, they are often only covered with an adhesivetape.

It is equally an advantage of the invention that it enables to savecosts in the production, since the battery module is assembled by theuser. The invention also facilitates logistics and thus allows anincrease in battery production. Moreover, a standard battery can be usedfor the battery module, while design based product variants can be madeby varying the surface of the battery holder.

Preferred embodiments of the invention become apparent from thedependent claims.

The at least one battery can be combined with the battery module in anysuitable manner.

Preferably, a battery is connected to a battery holder by sliding thebattery along guiding elements provided on the battery holder. Thedimensions of the receiving space defined by the guiding elements shouldbe such that it is suitably tight to hold the battery.

The battery holder may comprise in addition locking means, which may fixthe battery to the battery holder and/or adjust the size of thereceiving space of the battery holder to a variable battery size.

The battery holder can also be connected to the electronic device in anysuitable manner.

Preferably, this connection is realized as a snapping connection. Inorder to ensure a secure connection, a button interacting with thesnapping connection either on the side of the battery holder or on theside of the electronic device may be provided. A user of the electronicdevice may then release the snapping connection by pressing this button.Such a button is preferably connected to the cover of the electronicdevice, but can equally provided on the battery holder.

The electronic device can be in particular a mobile phone, but equallyany other electronic device which is run with a battery.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description considered in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, wherein

FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrate steps in the assembly of a cover of anelectronic device, of a battery module and of a battery holder accordingto an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 presents a cover 10 forming part of an electronic device, abattery 20 and a battery holder 30, which are to be assembled. Theelectronic device, of which only cover 10 is shown, can be for example amobile phone.

The battery module 20 is a standard battery module which compriseselectrical contacts 21 at one end.

The battery holder 30 comprises a basically even surface 31 which has alength and width slightly larger than the length and width of thebattery module 20.

At the opposite side, the battery holder comprises curved guidingelements 32 which are suited to receive the battery module 20 and tohold it in place. More specifically, the guiding elements 32 are suitedto receive and guide the battery module 20 when it is slid lengthwisealong the battery holder 30 at the side of the battery holder opposingthe surface 31 of the battery holder 30. With the guiding elements 32,the battery holder 30 has a depth which is slightly larger than thedepth of the battery module 20.

On both sides of one end of the battery holder 30, i.e. at one of itsnarrow sides, further a small projection 33 is provided, while at theother end, a part of a snapping connection 34 is provided. Additionally,locking means (not shown) may be provided for fixing the battery module20 to the battery holder 30. Such locking means may consist for examplein a tiny projection arranged between the small projections 33, whichtiny projection extends along a middle part of the corresponding narrowside of the battery holder 30 opposite to its surface 31.

The electronic device to which the presented cover 10 belongs compriseselectronic components that are to be protected by the cover 10. Theelectronic components of the electronic device have to be powered by abattery module. To this end, the cover 10 comprises a receiving space11, which is accessible through a cut-out in the cover 10. Length andwidth of the cut-out and of the receiving space 11 correspond to lengthand width of the battery holder 30. The depth of the receiving space 11corresponds to the depth of the battery holder 30. In the situationpresented in FIG. 1, the receiving space 11 is empty and open to theoutside. When the cover 10 is connected to the electronic device,electrical contacts of the electronic device which are connected to theelectronic components of the electronic device will be accessible viathe receiving space 11 at one end of this receiving space 11, i.e. atone of its narrow sides. Further, a groove or an eye 12 is provided onboth sides at the same end of the receiving space 11. At the oppositeend of the receiving space 11, a part of a snapping connection 13 isprovided, which is complementary to the part of the snapping connection34 of the battery holder 30. The cover 10 of the electronic devicemoreover comprises a movable button 14, which interacts with the part ofthe snapping connection 13 of the cover 10.

FIG. 2 illustrates the first step in the assembly of the cover 10, thebattery 20 and the battery holder 30. The battery module 20 was receivedby the guiding elements 32 of the battery holder 30 and was guided in asliding movement lengthwise the battery holder 30 to align completelywith the battery holder 30. The battery module 20 is also hold in placein this position by the guiding elements 32. As a result, basically onlythe electrical contacts 21 of the battery module 20 are still visible inFIG. 2. The battery module 20 is connected to the battery holder 30 withan orientation ensuring that the electrical contacts 21 of the batterymodule 20 are on the same side of the battery holder 30 as the smallprojections 33 of the battery holder 30.

FIG. 3 now illustrates the assembly of the battery holder 30 comprisingthe battery module 20 with the cover 10 of the electronic device.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the end of the battery holder 30 at whichprojection 33 is provided is inserted into the receiving space 11,namely at the end of the receiving space 11 which comprises grooves oreyes 12. The projections 33 of the battery holder 30 are therebyinserted into the corresponding grooves or eyes 12 of the cover 10 andthe electrical contacts of the battery module 20 are brought intocontact with the electrical contacts of the electronic device if or whenthe cover 10 is connected to the electronic device.

Then, the other end of the battery holder 30 is lowered, until theentire battery holder 30 is inserted completely into the receiving space11 and until the complementary parts of the snapping connection 34, 13of the battery holder 30 and the cover 10 interact and fix the batteryholder 30 to the cover 10.

As a result, the cut-out of the cover 10 is completely filled in withthe surface 31 of the battery holder 30, as can be seen in FIG. 4. Thebattery holder 30 thus forms part now of the cover 10 of the electronicdevice. For removing the battery holder 30 from the cover 10 again, auser has to move button 14 slightly away from the battery holder 30, forexample with a fingernail. The allowed movement of the button 14 onlyhas to be minimal. Thereupon, the snapping connection 13, 34 is releasedand the user can remove the battery holder 30 from the cover 10 in orderto exchange the battery module 20, if required.

With the presented embodiment of the invention, the battery module canthus be exchanged easily by a user of the electronic device. It is onthe one hand easy to connect the battery module with the battery holder,and on the other hand to connect the battery holder to the electronicdevice.

It is to be noted that the described embodiment constitutes only one ofa variety of possible embodiments of the invention.

1. A battery holder (30) for an electronic device comprising an outersurface (31), means (32) for receiving at least one exchangeable battery(20) at a side opposite to said outer surface (31) and means (33,34) forconnecting said battery holder (30) releasably to an electronic devicesuch that electrical contact elements (21) of at least one battery (20)received by said battery holder (30) come into contact with electricalcontact elements of said electronic device and such that said outersurface (31) of said battery holder (30) forms part of the outer surfaceof said electronic device.
 2. The battery holder (30) according to claim1, wherein said means (32) for receiving at least one exchangeablebattery (20) comprise guiding elements (32) for enabling a guidedreception of at least one battery (20).
 3. The battery holder (30)according to claim 2 further comprising locking means for fixing atleast one received battery (20) to said battery holder (30).
 4. Thebattery holder (30) according to claim 3, wherein said means (33,34) forconnecting said battery holder (30) releasably to an electronic devicecomprise first connecting means (33) for interacting with firstconnecting means (12) of an electronic device and second connectingmeans (34) for interacting in a snapping manner with second connectingmeans (13) of said electronic device when said first connecting means ofsaid battery holder (30) are interacting with said first connectingmeans (12) of said electronic device.
 5. A cover (10) for an electronicdevice, which cover (10) comprises a battery holder (30) according toclaim 1, wherein said battery holder (30) is connected to said cover(10) by said means (33,34) for releasably connecting said battery holder(30) to an electronic device.
 6. The cover (10) according to claim 5comprising a button for releasing said battery holder (30) from saidcover (10), which button interacts with means (13,34) connecting saidbattery holder (30) to said cover (10).
 7. An electronic devicecomprising a battery holder (30) according to claim 4, wherein saidbattery holder (30) is connected to said electronic device by said means(33,34) for releasably connecting said battery holder (30) to anelectronic device.
 8. The electronic device according to claim 7comprising a button for releasing said battery holder (30) from saidelectronic device, which button interacts with means (13,34) connectingsaid battery holder (30) to said electronic device.
 9. The batteryholder (30) according to claim 1 further comprising locking means forfixing at least one received battery (20) to said battery holder (30).10. The battery holder (30) according to claim 1, wherein said means(33,34) for connecting said battery holder (30) releasably to anelectronic device comprise first connecting means (33) for interactingwith first connecting means (12) of an electronic device and secondconnecting means (34) for interacting in a snapping manner with secondconnecting means (13) of said electronic device when said firstconnecting means of said battery holder (30) are interacting with saidfirst connecting means (12) of said electronic device.